Russia’s Southern Game: NATO’s Southern Flank after the Ukraine Invasion

Russia has significantly stepped up its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region since its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Kremlin is expected to continue to scale-up these efforts in the wake of political and economic isolation from the West as a consequence of its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. On 15 March 2022, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS) will hold a virtual event to address such questions as how Russia's role in the MENA region and Africa more broadly should be reassessed, and what potential openings NATO's Southern Flank could offer Russia that we should pay attention to.

Speakers include:

• Pauline Bax, Deputy Program Director, Africa, International Crisis Group
• Kristina Kausch, Senior Fellow, GMFUS
• Mark N. Katz, Professor of government and politics at  Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
• Andrew Lebovich, Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations

Moderator:

• Martin Quencez, Fellow and Deputy Director, GMFUS